APUSH Final Unit 1

Native societies (1491)

adapted to their environments (burns, irrigation, farming)

societies ranged from small kin-based groups to large political confederations

land viewed as something used communally

Maize cultivation

produced reliable food surpluses and supported larger communities

surplus → permanent settlements, pop growth, social hierarchy

encouraged irrigation

Eastern Woodlands (Northeast)

mixed economy: farming +hunting +gathering

Three Sisters agriculture (corn, beans, squash) bc of fertile soil, forest resources, reliable rainfall

Longhouses, permanent bc food is dependable, so formed Iroquois Confederacy

Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy

political nation of Native nations that coordinated decisions while keeping local autonomy

Great Plains

dry land, unpredictable rain, soil not suitable for large-scale farming → nomadic lifestyles

groups moved with bison migration patterns

Pueblo (Southwest)

built irrigation systems to farm in arid climates

permanent adobe settlements

complex trade networks

Cahokia (Mississippi)

urban, massive earthen mounds with large towns

centralized political/religious authority

agricultural surplus made large river-valley settlements possible

Northwest Coast

dense forests, access to fish so agriculture unnecessary

Chinook built wooden plank houses, clear social hierarchies bc resource abundance

Europe in 1941 changes

rise of centralized monarchies

growth of mercantilism (wealth=gold and silver)

religious zeal (Catholic)

maritime innovations (caravels, compass, astrolabe) sustained exploration

Why did Europe go looking? (3 Gs)

new sources of gold/silver to build nat wealth

Spain, Portugal, EN, FR raced bc of competition

desire to spread Christianity to natives

Spain dominated early conquest/extraction

Columbus reached Caribbean (claimed land, potential $)

huge amounts of gold/silver, saw ppl as easy to dominate and useful for labor

Explorers

Cabot (EN) explored NA, laying groundwork for future EN claims

Cartier (FR) explored St. Lawrence River

Hudson explored Dutch claims

Why Europe can cross Atlantic

maritime tech, organized trade/join-stock companies

shift from feudalism toward capitalism

Spain just completed Reconquista and had a strong, unified monarch willing to fund

Columbian Exchange

transfer of, ppl, plants diseases between East & West

Old World → New World

smallpox, measles → natives weren’t immune and 90% died

horses, pigs cattle

wheat, rice, grapes

New World → Old World

maize, potatoes (pop growth), tomatoes

minerals (gold and silver from Mexico/Peru caused capitalism)